The Land Beyond: A Thousand Miles on Foot through the Heart of the Middle East by Leon McCarron

Review by: Andra-Ioana Curutiu

The short

In ‘The Land Beyond: A Thousand Miles on Foot through the Heart of the Middle East’, Northern Irish filmmaker and author Leon McCarron shares his story about the people, cultures and places he encountered on his journey from Jerusalem to the desert of Sinai, home to the Bedouin tribes.

The long

‘The Land Beyond: A Thousand Miles on Foot through the Heart of the Middle East’ may look like a travel journal, but at its heart, it is a story: a story about people, history, and how human connections can break barriers. In this powerful book, Northern Irish filmmaker and author Leon McCarron travels from Jerusalem, embarking on a series of wild hiking trails that lead him to the vast desert of Sinai, home to the Bedouin tribes. On his journey, McCarron visits the ruins of Hellenic citadels, treks through the legendary Wadi Rum, and encounters the world's oldest and smallest religious sect.

To read or not to read?

It is a powerful piece about human connections and how traveling can open our eyes to new cultures and experiences. The book is available on Amazon (paperback, e-book and audio-book).